Hello! On this page, we'll start posting ideas about how the new and improved American Studies class should look. Directly below, you'll see the beginnings of the English side of skill progression. Farther down, though, are spaces for government and economics progressions. Please consider the following: try to chronologically list the big TOPICS and related SKILLS that need to be taught to frosh. From here, we should be able to, eventually, find those great integration moments and begin posting explicit teaching lesson examples and practice opportunities. Please post early and often so that we can ALL see from where this new class may evolve! English - 2012 - 13 school year
Book titles, movie titles, short story titles, poems, etc.
Subject-verb agreement
With collective nouns (Physics, mathematics, etc)
With indefinite pronouns (All, some, anyone, etc)
Object agreement
She and I will go to the store. (Not "me and her")
Give it to him or me. (Not "him or I")
Common homonym errors (there, their, they,re, etc)
4) Public speaking
Short individual 30-second speech (any topic)
Use of note cards
Proper body langauge
Proper attire (nothing too short!)
Ability to answer questions / defend ideas
Moving up to longer speeches
5) Research
Information / Note-taking styles to consider
Note cards - too outdated?
Working bibliography - one page per source with bibliography info at top
Excel spreadsheet / Word document
Some other on-line tool to gather notes?
Bullet-point list by source
Coding to then organize information into presentation / paper
Outlining?
Get the MLA information FIRST before researching and gathering info
Start with referencematerials to build context - databases, bound encyclopedias, Wikipedia, etc.
Determine where item to be researched fits into a "bigger picture"
Overview of the item, person, etc.
Seek to fill in gaps
What items in teh reference work don't you fully understand - look that up!
What people are referred to who you don't know - look them up!
If given specific questions - focus on those, but also look to research "between the lines" - what is implies within the questions
If NOT given specific questions and just given (or chosen) a topic - look to research the WHAT / SO WHAT pattern of the topic
Encyclopedias
Look in index
Reference different volumes that have information
This IS what Wikipedia does and is!
Books
Databases
Websites
6) Lit terms
plot map
characterization
antagonist / protagonist
exposition
rising action
climax
resolution
bias
Points of view (first, third-limited, third-omniscient)
simile
metaphor
personification
allusion
alliteration / assonance (? - do we need to cover this?)
rhyme scheme
hyperbole
flashback / flashforward (? - is this something we need to cover?)
oxymoron
onomatopoeia
English - Units of Study (ORDER?)
1) Narrative
Text-based seminar
Narrative writing
2) Literary Response
Writing conferences
Literary analysis paper
3) Language Analysis
Short constructed response
Written rhetorical analysis
4) Theme and Creative
Theme-based portfolio
Peer writing conferences
5) Problem solving Through Argument
Inquiry plan and process
Written presentation of problem and solution: brochure, blog, website
Oral presentation of plan with technology support
History - Skills Progression Semester 1 - GOVERNMENT
Early in semester, students will need skills related to website searching and evaluation, recognizing point of view and bias, paraphrasing/summarizing and citing sources
Research Skills:
Finding appropriate information
Using databases, search features
MLA format Work Cited
Identify difference between primary/secondary sources
To be clear, this is the complex sentence we mean, right?
Please be aware that for a complex sentence to exist, the dependent clasue does not HAVE to come defore the independent clause.
If we want that dependent clause to come first, we must be very explicit with that teaching moment.
Writing a 3 pronged topic sentence
How do you guys feel about the point (topic sentence), evidence (previously called "facts"), analysis language (previously called "explains") for paragraph responses and esay body paragraphs?
The reason AS-English has changed to this is that it more closely aligns with AP English vocabulary
Writing a structured paragraph with 3 points and support (8 to 11 sentence paragraph)
Using point, evidence, and analysis terminology?
Properly citing information using parenthetical citation
Start writing appropriate thesis statements
Now called "claim"?
Full essays in first semester or just "claim" statements?
Q - Is this the same skill as listed under first semester?
Citations
Q - Is this the same skill as listed under first semester?
Work Cited
Connecting relevant outside info to docs
Government standards (Semester 1) (Reorganized on 4/4/12)
Minutes from 3/21:
The following power standards are labeled as "units", but with the understanding that these standards can be rolled in and assessed during other "units".
"UNIT" 1. Research, formulate positions, and engage in appropriate civic
participation to address local, state, or national issues or policies (about 6 weeks)
Essential outcome ideas:
Students can distinquish between local, state, and national issues
Students will be able to identify interest groups as distinquished from other groups
Students will be able to explain what an interest group is.
Students will be able to align certain issues with political parties.
Students will be able to explain why and how citizens participate in the political process at local, state, and national level(election process)
Vocab/concepts: social versus political, political issues, public policy, interest group, political party, ideology, political spectrum (left right and center), liberal, conservative, moderate, radical, independent, lobbying/lobbyist, activist, political socialization, citizenship, democracy, polls, public opinion, protest, mass media, electorate, suffrage, winner-take-all, Libertarianism, Republican, Democrat, Populist, primary, caucus, general election, secret ballot, nomination, convention, delegates, platform, incumbant, lame duck, challenger, PACs,
Assessments:some depth of knowledge 1 mult choice(i.e. which political party supports this position, what is a special interest group, maybe some specific agreed upon groups like NAACP or NRA)
Depth of knowlege 2: 8 sent paragraphs: their position on an issue with support
DOK 3: ongoing reseach on a group/issue. present or debate
Skills that overlap with English :
distinguishing point of view/bias especially on internet sources and assessing credibility of websites(this is for their researching current issues and interest groups). Citing those sources. Public speaking as kids present their findings, possibly debating them askining challenging questions. How to read a textbook and take information fro them (SQ3R was one idea). Difference between political, social, economic. Resources: iCivics.com,
"Unit" 2. Purposes of and limitations on the foundations, structures and
functions of government (about 10 weeks)
Possible Essential Outcomes:
Students will understand the rights spelled out in the Bill of Rights
Students will understand the purpose of the constitution
Students will understand the difference between government, business, and non-governmental organizations
Vocab/Concepts: Bill of Rights, regulation, constitutional rights, The Constitution, limited gov't, checks and balances, comparative gov't, Republic, parliamentary system, branches of gov't, legislative, executive, judicial, due process
Unit 3. Analyze how public policy - domestic and foreign - is developed at
the local, state, and national levels and compare how policy-making occurs in other forms of government (about 4 weeks)
Vocab/Concepts: Lobbyists, PACs, How bills become laws, levels of gov't, domestic policy, foreign policy, pork, riders, amendments, compromise, bi-partisan, partisan,
I. Research, formulate positions, and engage in appropriate civic
participation to address local, state, or national issues or policies
Start with the PERSON. What are students' personal ideologies? What do students believe in? What are they passionate about? How would you go about influencing things you care about in a democracy? What is a democracy? What does it mean to be a citizen? What are the responsibilities of citizenship? Possible activities: personal narrative, "This I Believe," True Diary as text
What is the political spectrum? Where would you place yourself on this spectrum?
What issues do you feel strongly about? What issues are current in American society?
Interest groups. One way to influence policy is to join an interest group. What are interest groups and how are they organized to influence change in our democracy? Mini-research: research an interest group. What issues do they represent? What are they trying to accomplish? What methods do they use? Would you join such a group? Possible activity: create a .ppt slide that summarizes the interest group.
Based on your knowledge of the political spectrum, what interest groups would join what parties? What are political parties? How are they organized?
Voting and elections. One way to affect change is to join a political party/vote for candidates from a particular party. How does voting work? How do you register? How do we choose our leaders? Possible activities: mock election; participation in lead up to November elections
II. Purposes of and limitations on the foundations, structures and
functions of government From 3/14 meeting: (entered by Semple 3/20)
Important to start with a hook that makes the rest of the content relevant. Idea was to start with personal feelings on high interest and current issues. Have students understand that based on your personal values, people join interest groups to work together toward a common goal. Provide many examples of interest groups. From there, move into how those groups align (or don't) with political parties. Include the political spectrum and students take a survey. This progresses into elections and voting.
Then function of gov't with emphasis on personal rights and "street law", different types of gov't, levels and branches of gov't and checks and balances etc.
Text ideas: Persepolis, Lord of the Flies, Alexi Sherman, and the new multicultural lit reader. Also mentioned for semester 2 "How an economy grows and why it crashes".
Foundations and functions
What isgovernment?
What are the different types of government possible? Why did our Founding Fathers choose the form of government we have? Brief history of how we got a republic. Important texts: preamble to the Declaration of Independence, preamble to the Constitution.
What is a constitution?
Principles of our constitutional government:
social contract ("state of nature"). Possible text: Lord of the Flies
limited government
federalism
separation of powers-three branches
Structure
How is our U.S. Constitution set up?
Three branches of government: Legislative, Executive, Judicial: structure/function of each; roles and powers; limits
Relationship among branches: checks and balances
Interpretation of the Constitution
judicial review
due process
civil rights and liberties
Bill of Rights: important court cases. What are our rights under the Constitution? Possible activities: mock trials, moot courts on important SC cases
III. Analyze how public policy - domestic and foreign - is developed at
the local, state, and national levels and compare how policy-making
occurs in other forms of government
Define "policy"
Define "domestic" vs "foreign" policy
Domestic Policies
Which branches of government are most involved with domestic policy
Examine specific policies
Education
Immigration
Social
Abortion - Roe v Wade
Gay Marriage - Proposition 8
Legalization of drugs - CO as case study
Civil Liberties - Censorship, flag burning
NOT to be focusing on the African-American Civil Rights Movement (cover at 11th grade?)
Foreign Policies
Which branches of government are most involved with foreign policy
President as Commander-in-Chief, Cabinet positions (Defense, State), United Nations, Ambassadors, Military
Spectrun of foreign policy decisions
Isolationism to Unilateral Interventionist (world police)
Case studies from MODERN history that illustrate each part of spectrum
What case was
Who decided
How they decided
Outcomes
Long-term effects
EXAMPLES
Iranian Revolution
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
9/11
Invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan
IV. Revisit standard 1 (see above) to bookend the course
Current events: Let's debate current policies
Let's create a new policy toward some issue you identified at the beginning of the semester as one of interest to you
9th Grade Government (From Christy Flack - Use as Reference when filling in content and skills for new course)
State Civics Standard
Topics (in suggested order) (Reference State Evidence Outcomes)
Skills/Activities (Reference State Evidence Outcomes)
Chapters (little red book)
Research, formulate positions, and engage in appropriate civic participation to address local, state, and national issues or policies (approximate time: 5-6 weeks)
2. Purposes and limitations on the foundations, structures and functions of government (approximate time 8-9 weeks)
Origins and Purposes of Government (2A, 2C)
Philosophers – Locke
Declaration of Independence – Jefferson
Why Democracy (2B, 2C)
Popular Sovereignty/Social Contract
Limited Government
Federalism
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances – Madison System and Constitutional Compromises (2A)
The Constitution (2B, 2D)
Basic Structure
For each branch do basics of (structure or branch, function of branch, roles/powers of the leaders, limits on branches and relationships with other branches – revisit Separation and Checks)
Interpretation of the Constitution (2D, 2F, 2G)
Judicial Review
Due Process
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Bill of Rights – Court Cases
Growth of Judicial power (activism/restraint)
Trial vs. Appellate courts
Use current events to discuss the purposes of government today, limited government today (Tea Party Movement), or federalism today (2A, 2C, 2E)
Research additional documents, philosophers, events (Common Sense, Articles of Confederation, Hobbes, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Shays Rebellion) (2A, 2E)
Recreate the constitutional debates including federalists and anti federalists
Research civil rights and the courts (2D, 2F, 2G)
Practice supreme court cases with a moot court or practice civil/criminal cases at the trial level with a mock trial (2D, 2F, 2G)
3. Analyze how public policy – domestic and foreign – is developed at the local, state, and national levels and compare how policy-making occurs in other forms of government (approximate time 2-3 weeks)
Policymaking
Domestic – Local and State issues (3A, 3B, 3C)
Domestic – National issues – the People, Congress, President – refer back to previous units to tie this together (3C, 3E)
Foreign – Global issues – President and working with other governments (look at other systems of government and economic systems) (3D, 3E, 3F)
Brainstorm issues and classify which level of government (3A, 3B, 3C, 1B, 1C)
Do an activity similar to project citizen on an issue (3A, 3B, 3C, 1B, 1C)
Simulate a legislative session (3A, 3B, 3C, 1B, 1C)
Do a governments around the world research project (3D, 3E, 3F)
Use the CHOICES series for foreign policy options (many on the middle east today) (3D, 3E, 3F)
Do a model UN activity (3D, 3E, 3F)
20 (state and local policy) 17 (domestic and foreign policy) 18 and 1 (other governments)
*The basic concepts of citizenship and democracy are fluid throughout the entire textbook – not as a standalone chapter. There are other resources available to help with these concepts but they have a few basics to hang your hat on in chapters 1 and 18.
STATE and LOCAL Government – the textbook has a chapter devoted to state and local government (Chapter 19). State and local are taught in this proposal throughout the entire course (when you discuss issues, federalism, and court cases and government structure).
Economics Topics and Skills Progressions (Semester 2)
The New "Units of Study" laid out by econ meetin in April 2012. (I've added the time frames)--Semple 5/10/12
Unit 1: Thinking like an economist (4 weeks)
Unit 2: Supply and Demand, (3 weeks)
Unit 3: Economic systems (4 weeks)
Unit 4: Market Structures and Business organization (3-4 weeks)
Unit 5: Personal Financial Literacy (4 weeks)
Q - Is there an estimate as to, about where, the quarter break would come? What is the division, give or take, between quarter 3 and 4 now? A-Currently we break between Unit 2 and Unit 3 at quarter.
Q - To what level will these terms be taught?
Q - Eventually, how will they learn these (reading? lecture?)?
Q - How will they apply these terms to something?
Q - What will assessments look like (Completely new? MC? Essay? DBQ?) A-Durrently we have MC and DBQ, for every assessment. Our current Documents are very accessable and should be great for the Freshman level as well. We could use our current tests as a starting point and make them more appropriate for Freshman level.
Q - Where does social science see inroads into English supporting this?
1) Thinking like an economist
Scarcity
Economic decision making
Opportunity costs
Factors of production
Economic systems
Free market, centrally planned, and mixed economies
2) The US economic system & how markets function
Principles of free enterprise (Elements of central planning in the US economy, government safety nets etc.)
Supply
Demand
Prices
Business organization (partnerships, corporations etc.)
Economics and Personal Financial Literacy Standards (Colorado State)
1. Productive resources - natural, human, capital - are scarce;
therefore choices are made about how individuals, businesses,
governments, and societies allocate these resources
2. Economic policies impact markets3. Government and competition impact markets 4. Design, analyze, and apply a financial plan based on short- and
long-term financial goals (PFL)
5. Analyze strategic spending, saving, and investment options to
achieve the objectives of diversification, liquidity, income, and
growth (PFL)
6. The components of personal credit to manage credit and debt (PFL)
7. Identify, develop, and evaluate risk-management strategies (PFL)
English - 2012 - 13 school year
English - Skills Progressions - Where are YOU explicitly teaching each of these?
1) Reading Strategies
2) Writing (essay / DBQ / creative)
3) Grammar / Usage / Mechanics
4) Public speaking
5) Research
6) Lit terms
English - Units of Study (ORDER?)
1) Narrative
- Text-based seminar
- Narrative writing
2) Literary Response- Writing conferences
- Literary analysis paper
3) Language Analysis- Short constructed response
- Written rhetorical analysis
4) Theme and Creative- Theme-based portfolio
- Peer writing conferences
5) Problem solving Through ArgumentHistory - Skills Progression
Semester 1 - GOVERNMENT
Semester 2 - ECONOMICS
Government standards (Semester 1) (Reorganized on 4/4/12)
Minutes from 3/21:The following power standards are labeled as "units", but with the understanding that these standards can be rolled in and assessed during other "units".
"UNIT" 1. Research, formulate positions, and engage in appropriate civic
participation to address local, state, or national issues or policies (about 6 weeks)
- Skills that overlap with English :
distinguishing point of view/bias especially on internet sources and assessing credibility of websites(this is for their researching current issues and interest groups). Citing those sources. Public speaking as kids present their findings, possibly debating them askining challenging questions. How to read a textbook and take information fro them (SQ3R was one idea). Difference between political, social, economic.Resources: iCivics.com,
"Unit" 2. Purposes of and limitations on the foundations, structures and
functions of government (about 10 weeks)
Unit 3. Analyze how public policy - domestic and foreign - is developed at
the local, state, and national levels and compare how policy-making occurs in other forms of government (about 4 weeks)
I. Research, formulate positions, and engage in appropriate civic
participation to address local, state, or national issues or policies
II. Purposes of and limitations on the foundations, structures and
functions of government
From 3/14 meeting: (entered by Semple 3/20)
Important to start with a hook that makes the rest of the content relevant. Idea was to start with personal feelings on high interest and current issues. Have students understand that based on your personal values, people join interest groups to work together toward a common goal. Provide many examples of interest groups. From there, move into how those groups align (or don't) with political parties. Include the political spectrum and students take a survey. This progresses into elections and voting.
Then function of gov't with emphasis on personal rights and "street law", different types of gov't, levels and branches of gov't and checks and balances etc.
Text ideas: Persepolis, Lord of the Flies, Alexi Sherman, and the new multicultural lit reader. Also mentioned for semester 2 "How an economy grows and why it crashes".
Foundations and functions
Structure
Interpretation of the Constitution
III. Analyze how public policy - domestic and foreign - is developed at
the local, state, and national levels and compare how policy-making
occurs in other forms of government
IV. Revisit standard 1 (see above) to bookend the course
9th Grade Government (From Christy Flack - Use as Reference when filling in content and skills for new course)
8 (ideology, media)
9 (interest groups)
5 (parties)
6 (elections)
7 (voting)
*1 and *18 (democracy)
2 (origins, philosophy)
3 (constitution)
4 (federalism)
10 (legislative branch)
11 (executive branch)
12 (executive branch/bureaucracy)
13 (judicial branch)
14 (1st Amendment)
15 (due process)
16 (civil rights)
17 (domestic and foreign policy)
18 and 1 (other governments)
*The basic concepts of citizenship and democracy are fluid throughout the entire textbook – not as a standalone chapter. There are other resources available to help with these concepts but they have a few basics to hang your hat on in chapters 1 and 18.
STATE and LOCAL Government – the textbook has a chapter devoted to state and local government (Chapter 19). State and local are taught in this proposal throughout the entire course (when you discuss issues, federalism, and court cases and government structure).
Economics Topics and Skills Progressions (Semester 2)
The New "Units of Study" laid out by econ meetin in April 2012. (I've added the time frames)--Semple 5/10/12
Unit 1: Thinking like an economist (4 weeks)
Unit 2: Supply and Demand, (3 weeks)
Unit 3: Economic systems (4 weeks)
Unit 4: Market Structures and Business organization (3-4 weeks)
Unit 5: Personal Financial Literacy (4 weeks)
Q - Is there an estimate as to, about where, the quarter break would come? What is the division, give or take, between quarter 3 and 4 now?
A-Currently we break between Unit 2 and Unit 3 at quarter.
Q - To what level will these terms be taught?
Q - Eventually, how will they learn these (reading? lecture?)?
Q - How will they apply these terms to something?
Q - What will assessments look like (Completely new? MC? Essay? DBQ?)
A-Durrently we have MC and DBQ, for every assessment. Our current Documents are very accessable and should be great for the Freshman level as well. We could use our current tests as a starting point and make them more appropriate for Freshman level.
Q - Where does social science see inroads into English supporting this?
1) Thinking like an economist
- Scarcity
- Economic decision making
- Opportunity costs
- Factors of production
- Economic systems
- Free market, centrally planned, and mixed economies
2) The US economic system & how markets function- Principles of free enterprise (Elements of central planning in the US economy, government safety nets etc.)
- Supply
- Demand
- Prices
- Business organization (partnerships, corporations etc.)
3) Saving and investing, business and labor- Interest rates, stocks, bonds
- business structures and labor issues
4) Governments's role in the US economy- Economic indicators (GDP, S&P 500, unemployment etc.)
- Fiscal and Monetary policy
- Taxing and spending,
- entitlements
5) Global Economic IssuesEconomics and Personal Financial Literacy Standards (Colorado State)
1. Productive resources - natural, human, capital - are scarce;
therefore choices are made about how individuals, businesses,
governments, and societies allocate these resources
2. Economic policies impact markets3. Government and competition impact markets
4. Design, analyze, and apply a financial plan based on short- and
long-term financial goals (PFL)
5. Analyze strategic spending, saving, and investment options to
achieve the objectives of diversification, liquidity, income, and
growth (PFL)
6. The components of personal credit to manage credit and debt (PFL)
7. Identify, develop, and evaluate risk-management strategies (PFL)